Apple

The second series written and presented by Fiona Stafford, Professor of Literature at Somerville College Oxford, exploring the symbolism, importance, topicality and surprises of five trees common in the UK.

The Apple, which seems the most British of trees, cultivated in orchards nationwide, but actually originates in Kazakhstan. There are in the region of 7,500 cultivars of the Apple, and the apple seems to go back to the very beginnings of the human race - it's there in the story of Adam and Eve, as well as being important in Ancient Greek and Old Norse mythology. But the apple-tree that features in so many Renaissance paintings of the Garden of Eden is actually a descendant of the wild apple - or crab apple which is the only truly British apple.

The arrival of pear and fruit ciders has doubled the value of the total UK cider market in four years. Photograph: Garry Weaser

Sales of fruit-flavoured cider have soared in the past year to make it the UK's fastest growing alcoholic drink sector, figures reveal. Since
being launched in the UK three years ago, fruit ciders such as
elderflower and lime, berry fruits and even cloudberry from Scandinavia
have grown in popularity and number, with about 30 varieties now on
offer.Marketeers have succeeded in turning the drink from a summer-time tipple into an all-year-round drink. In the past year sales for home consumption have soared by 80% to create a market worth £113m a year, according to new data from the retail analysts AC Nielsen.
The arrival of pear and fruit ciders in the mid-2000s has more than
doubled the value of the total UK cider market in just four years to
£873m, it said...